Look Out For Each Other, Share the Responsibility

Problem

The number of pedestrian collisions per year averaged 325, with approximately 8 of those resulting in fatalities. The cause of collisions were attributed almost equally to both pedestrians and motorists. The City of Edmonton needed to strengthen its safety education program.

Background

In 2000, the City of Edmonton became a member of the Capital Region Intersection Safety Partnership (CRISP) in order to share resources and expertise from a variety of disciplines. The partnership includes local municipalities, police service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), health services organizations, and motor associations.

Solution

Modeled after the regional campaign "Red Means Stop!" initiated by the CRISP, the "Look Out For Each Other, Share the Responsibility" campaign was launched by the City of Edmonton, the City of St. Albert and Strathcona County in 2002. The media component kicked off with a press conference that included representatives from all the major partners in CRISP. Radio, newspaper, billboards, bridge banners, and bus tails were all used to get the message across. To motorists, the message was to slow down and be courteous to crossing pedestrians. In turn, pedestrians must take due care, pay attention, and use the "point, pause and proceed" method when crossing the road.

The campaign was also supported by an enforcement component. The Edmonton Police Service targeted pedestrians and motorists who ignored the rules of the road; 359 tickets were handed out for pedestrian-related traffic violations in one month alone.

One of the program signs.

For the first year of the 8-week campaign, the total costs came to $215,000. The following year cost only $25,000 using the same campaign template. The campaign is expected to continue in future years.

Results

Following the inaugural campaign, a public opinion survey of 601 respondents was conducted. Approximately 40 percent of respondents recollected the "Look Out For Each Other - Share the Responsibility" message. Of those, 43% recalled the campaign's billboard advertising while other respondents noted radio (13 percent), transit buses (7 percent), newspaper (6 percent) and smaller community signs (5 percent). Although 74 percent of respondents stated that they were aware of the "point, pause, and proceed" method of safely crossing the road, only 26 percent of them said they always or almost always use this method. The survey showed, therefore, that the campaign has effectively reached the public, but that also there is a need for ongoing effort by CRISP stakeholders to ensure that pedestrians and motorists continue to learn about pedestrian safety.